Paternity

Paternity, or the legal acknowledgment of the relationship between father and child, is an important factor in determining child custody, visitation and child support for unmarried parents. Whether you are a mother seeking to confirm the identity of your child’s father, or a man seeking to establish parental rights over your children, it is important to have an experienced paternity lawyer on your side.

If you are an unmarried mother and are seeking to establish the identity of your child’s father, you can petition the child support enforcement agency to order a DNA paternity test. Once the father’s identity is confirmed, you will then be able to seek child support.

A father’s name on a birth certificate does not entitle him to child custody and visitation rights if he is not married to the mother. If you are a father seeking to play a significant role in your child’s life, obtaining a paternity test can give you the legal standing you need.